Sharp temperature drop and northern rain expected Saturday

BAGHDAD — Temperatures will fall by between 5 and 9 degrees Celsius on Saturday as a moderate air mass moves across Iraq, bringing rainfall to northern areas and dust to central and western regions, the General Authority for Meteorology said.

Northern areas will see partly to fully cloudy skies with light to moderate rain, thunderstorms and heavy bursts particularly in mountainous and eastern areas, gradually subsiding overnight. Central and southern regions will be partly cloudy to clear.

Northwesterly winds of 20–30 km/h will gust to 50 km/h in the afternoon, raising dust in western, central and parts of southern Iraq. Visibility will range from 8–10 km, dropping to 3–5 km in areas affected by dust and heavy rain before improving in the evening.